1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to hardware and support apparatus, and more specifically to an improved bracket device for supporting a swimboard from a boat.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many small boats are equipped with a wooden or plastic platform or swim board, typically bolted to the boat's transom, to assist swimmers and skiers into and out of the boat. Because of the significant stresses that can be applied to such a swim board due to passenger loading and unloading, as well as due to the contact with the water when the boat is underway, it is imperative that the swim board be securely fastened to the boat. Accordingly, many swim boards are simply (and essentially permanently) bolted to the transom. However, such attachment makes it difficult to remove the swim board from the boat when desired. Other swimboards utilize brackets which incorporate some form of release device to simplify the removal of the swim board from the boat, but these release devices regularly jam or break due to the applied stresses, or are located in an awkward or inaccessible area, making release difficult. Other existing brackets enable removal of the swim board only in a vertical direction, thus restricting the placement of cleats, eyes, or other structural protuberances on the transom above the swim board.